Glove with adjustable palm fastener

ABSTRACT

A sports glove comprising a palm side, including a palm width, a dorsal side position opposite the palm side, and an adjustable fastener position on the palm side to vary the palm width. Preferably the adjustable fastener is position between the finger portion and cuff portion proximate to, but separated from, the cuff portion. The palm side of the glove can further include a palm heel portion wherein adjustable fasteners position on the palm heel portion. The palm width is measured between the first and second sides of the glove proximate to the thumb portion of the glove.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

All patents and publications discussed herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to protective gloves. More particular, this invention relates to a protective sports glove having a unique adjustable fastener positioned to provide enhanced comfort and fit of the glove to the hand of a wearer of the sports glove.

In many contact sports, it is an essential part of the sport to intentionally strike the other participants of the sport. Depending on the given sport, certain body parts are under greater exposure and stress than others. For example, in sports such as lacrosse, hockey, and other sports in which a stick-type object is an essential part of the game, the participants' hands are exposed to a large amount of contact. As such, it is important to protect the participant's hands during the course of play of the sport. It is also important to maintain a proper fit of the glove on the participant's hands during the course of the sport in order to adequately protect the participant's hands. As such, protective gloves in sports should both protect and maintain a proper fit in order to adequately function during the sporting event.

This goal is further complicated by the various sizes of hands of the various participants in a sport. A single size, or even a range of the traditional small through extra large sizes, does not properly fit all of the participants. This can be a detriment to the participants if the participants wish to have the proper protection during the sport and maintain proper control of the sports equipment used therein. A proper fit of the glove to the participants' hands facilitates these objectives during the course of the sporting event.

Various protective sporting gloves have been developed over the years in lacrosse, hockey, and other similar contact sports. These prior art gloves are designed to protect the user of the glove, or player of the sport, against impacts and blows to their hands during participation in the sporting event. Unfortunately, as protection by these gloves increases, a user of these prior art gloves can experience reduction in the amount of adjustability he has in his hands due to the configuration of the prior art gloves themselves. This reduction in adjustability can substantially reduce the fit, effectiveness, and level of play of a participate wearing one of these prior art gloves.

The adjustability of the glove is further complicated by the need for padding on the back or dorsal side of a glove during participation in the sporting events. For example, a traditional bating glove, as used in baseball or softball, includes an adjustable feature on the back, or dorsal, portion of the glove. This configuration is undesirable in most stick sports due to the need for padding in this back, or dorsal, portion to protect the hand of a participant of stick sports from contact with the stick. Additionally, prior gloves that put an adjustable feature on the cuff of the glove do not provide adjustable features in the hand portion of the glove itself. As such, these prior art gloves with an adjustable wrist guards, or guards outside the hand portion of the glove, do not allow proper adjustability of the glove to the palm, thumb, and finger portions of those gloves.

For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,745,916, 5,511,242, 5,511,243, 5,367,712, 5,237,703, and 4,815,147, all show various sports gloves having adjustable features on the write portion of the glove or have adjustable features that directly effect the fit at the wrist as opposed to on the palm or hand portion of the glove.

The palm width is a dimension that can greatly vary amongst people. However, these prior art gloves fail to realize the need for, and disability of, adjustability across the palm to correspond to this variance. Adjustment at this location can greatly enhance the fit of the glove as well as increasing the grip the gloves provides to the hand for equipment used during the sporting event.

What is needed then is a sports glove having an adjustable fastener positioned on the glove to adjust the palm width of the glove. Preferably, this adjustable fastener adjusts the width of a glove at the palm independent to the width of the glove in other areas. A glove containing these features is lacking in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Included herein is a sports glove comprising a palm side, including a palm width, a dorsal side position opposite the palm side, and an adjustable fastener position on the palm side to vary the palm width. Preferably the adjustable fastener is position between the finger portion and cuff portion proximate to, but separated from, the cuff portion. The palm side of the glove can further include a palm heel portion wherein adjustable fasteners position on the palm heel portion. The palm width is measured between the first and second sides of the glove proximate to the thumb portion of the glove.

Preferably the adjustable fastener comprises hook-and-loop fasteners positioned on a band where the band is shaped to fit through a buckle positioned on the opposite side of the glove from the band. Alternately, the adjustable fastener can include first and second straps positioned on first and second sides of the glove where the first and second straps overlap to allow adjustment across the palm width.

Also included is a sports glove comprising a dorsal side, a palm side opposite the dorsal side, a thumb side, and an exterior side. The palm side includes a palm heel portion wherein a palm width is positioned across the palm heel portion between the thumb side and exterior side. The thumb side and exterior side are positioned between the dorsal side and the palm side to effectively establish the three-dimensionality of the glove. An adjustable fastener is positioned on the palm side across the palm heel portion to adjust the width of the glove across the palm heel portion. Preferably the distance between the thumb and exterior sides across the palm width at the palm heel portion is varied by the adjustable fastener independently of the distance between the thumb and exterior sides at other locations on the sports glove. The adjustable fastener is positioned between the finger portion and cuff portion of the glove such that the adjustable fastener is not positioned on the cuff portion of the glove.

Also included is a sports glove for a wearer during participation in a sporting event. The sports glove comprises a top side, a bottom side, and an adjustable fastener. The bottom side is positioned opposite the top side and includes a width. The adjustable fastener substantially spans the bottom side and is positioned between the fingers and wrist of a wearer when the glove is worn by the wearer. The adjustable fastener is positioned across the palm heel of the wearer and is separated from the wrist of the wearer. The hand of the wearer can be described as including a hand width and a wrist width, where both the hand width and the wrist width are spaced from the palm heel width. An adjustable fastener varies the palm heel width independent of the wrist width and palm width.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a protective sports glove.

Another object of the current invention is to provide a sports glove having an adjustable fastener.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sports glove having an adjustable fastener positioned across the palm portion of the glove.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sports glove having an adjustable fastener positioned to cross the palm of the hand of a wearer of the sports glove.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sports glove having an adjustable fastener positioned on the palm side of the glove independent of the wrist section of the glove.

Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, upon a reading of the following disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of embodiment of a sports glove made in accordance with the current disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows an example of the adjustable fastener in a closed, or tightened position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a glove made in accordance with the current disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3. FIG. 4 shows the fastener in a closed, or tightened position.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a hand position in relation to the glove shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a partial cut-away view showing a hand positioned in the glove of FIG. 5. The adjustable fastener is positioned across the palm heel of the wearer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring generally now to FIGS. 1-6, a sports glove made in accordance with the current disclosure is shown and generally designated by the numeral 10. The sports glove 10 comprises of palm side 12, a dorsal side 14 positioned opposite the palm side 12, and an adjustable fastener 16 positioned on the palm side 12. The palm side 12 includes a palm width 18 measured between the finger portion 20 and cuff portion 22 of the sports glove 10. The adjustable fastener 16 is positioned on the palm side 12 to adjust the palm width 18 as desired by a wearer of the sports glove 10.

Preferably the adjustable fastener 16 is positioned between the finger portion 20 and cuff portion 22 proximate to the cuff portion 22. The adjustable fastener 16 is separate from the cuff portion 22 to provide independent adjustment of the palm width 18 from the cuff portion 22. The palm side 12 further includes a palm heel portion 24 positioned proximate to, but separated from, the cuff portion 22. The adjustable fastener 16 is positioned on the palm heel portion 24 to adjust the palm width 18 across the palm heel portion.

The sports glove 10 further includes a first side 26, a second side 28, and a thumb portion 30. The palm width 18 is measured between the first and second sides 26 and 28 and proximate to the thumb portion 30. The sports glove 10 can further include a distance 32 measured between the first and second sides 26 and 28 at a location on the glove 10 independent of the palm width 18. The adjustable fastener 16 varies the palm width 18 across the palm heel portion 24 independent of the distance 32 between the first and second sides 26 and 28. Other locations along the sports glove 10. This can be described as independently varying the palm width 18 of the sports glove 10. The independent variation is preferably referencing the palm width 18 in view of the width of the glove across the fingers and the width of the glove across the wrist of a user of the glove.

In the preferred embodiment, the adjustable fastener 16 further includes a buckle 34 attached to the first side 26 and a band 36 attached to the second side 28 wherein the band 36 is shaped to fit through the buckle 34. A user can use the band 36 and buckle 34 to adjust the palm width 18 of the sports glove 10. Alternately, the adjustable fastener 16 can include a first strap 38 and a second strap 40 attached to the second side 28. The first and second straps 38 and 40 are positioned to overlap between the first and second sides 26 and 28. Preferably the adjustable fastener 16 includes hook-and-loop fasteners 42, but can include other fasteners known in the art to adjustably and removably attach two pieces together.

Also included is a sports glove 10 comprising a palm side 12 positioned opposite dorsal side 14, a thumb side 28 positioned between the dorsal and palm sides 14 and 12, and an exterior side 26 position between the dorsal and palm sides 14 and 12 opposite the thumb side 28.

The palm side 12 can include a palm heel portion 24 having a palm width 18 positioned across the palm heel portion 24 between the thumb side 28 and exterior side 28. An adjustable fastener 16 can be positioned on the palm side 12 across the palm heel portion 24 to vary the palm width 18 at the palm heel portion 24. The adjustable fastener 16 is spaced apart from the finger portion 20 and the cuff portion 22 and varies the palm width 18 across the palm heel portion 24 substantially independent of the distance 32 between the thumb and exterior sides 20 and 26 at other locations on the sports glove 10.

Also included is a sports glove 10 for a wearer (not shown). The wearer has a wrist 102 and hand 100. The hand 100 includes a palm heel 104 and fingers 106. The sports glove 10 comprises a top side 14 positioned opposite a bottom side 12. The bottom side 12 includes a palm width 18. An adjustable fastener 16 substantially spans the bottom side 12 and is positioned between the fingers 106 and wrist 102 of the wearer when the sports glove 10 is worn by the wearer. The adjustable fastener 16 is positioned to lie across the palm heel 104 of the hand 100 of the wearer. The hand 100 can further include a hand width 101 and a wrist width 103. The adjustable fastener 16 is positioned on the bottom side 12 to vary the variable width 18 independent of the hand width 101 or the wrist width 103.

As best illustrated in FIG. 6, the adjustable fastener 16 is preferably positioned to lie directly across the palm heel 104 of the hand 100. This positioning of the adjustable fastener 16 is specifically spaced from the wrist 102 of the wearer and adjusts the palm width 18 independently of the wrist width 103.

The sports glove 10 can include other fasteners positioned on the wrist or hand portions 102 and 100 of sports glove 10 and still maintain the inventive nature of the sports glove 10.

Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful Glove with Adjustable Palm Fastener, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims. 

1. A stick sports glove for a wearer having a hand including a palm heel, the stick sports glove comprising: a palm side including a palm width and a palm heel portion; a dorsal side positioned opposite the palm side; a finger portion; a cuff portion; an adjustable fastener positioned on the palm side between the finger portion and the cuff portion, separated from the cuff portion, and traversing the palm heel portion to vary the palm width; and at least one pad position on the dorsal side to protect the hand during participation in a stick sport.
 2. The stick sports glove of claim 1, wherein the adjustable fastener is positioned to lie across the palm heel of the hand of the wearer.
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. The stick sports glove of claim 1, wherein the adjustable fastener comprises hook and loop fasteners.
 6. The stick sports glove of claim 1, wherein the palm side further includes a palm heel portion and the adjustable fastener is positioned on to the palm heel portion.
 7. The stick sports glove of claim 1, further including a first side, a second side, and a thumb portion positioned on the first side, wherein the palm width is measured between the first and second sides proximate to the thumb portion.
 8. The stick sports glove of claim 7, wherein the adjustable fastener further comprises a buckle attached to the first side and a band attached to the second side and shaped to fit through the buckle.
 9. The stick sports glove of claim 7, wherein the adjustable fastener includes a first strap attached to the first side and a second strap attached to the second side, the first and second straps positioned to overlap between the first and second sides.
 10. The stick sports glove of claim 7, wherein the palm side further includes a palm heel portion and the adjustable fastener varies the palm width across the palm heel portion.
 11. The stick sports glove of claim 10, further including a distance between the first and second sides, wherein the adjustable fastener varies the palm width across the palm heel portion independent of the distance between the first and second sides at other locations along the sports glove.
 12. A stick sports glove for a participant in a stick sport having a hand, the stick sports glove comprising: a dorsal side; a palm side positioned opposite the dorsal side, the palm side including a palm heel portion; a thumb side positioned between the dorsal side and the palm side; an exterior side positioned between the dorsal side and the palm side opposite the thumb side; a palm width positioned across the palm heel portion between the thumb side and the exterior side; an adjustable fastener position on the palm side across the palm heel portion, and padding position on the dorsal side to protect the hand during participation in the stick sport.
 13. The stick sports glove of claim 12, further including a finger portion and a cuff portion, wherein the adjustable fastener is spaced apart from the finger portion and the cuff portion.
 14. The stick sports glove of claim 13, wherein the adjustable fastener comprises hook and loop fasteners.
 15. The stick ports glove of claim 12, further including a distance between the thumb and exterior sides, wherein the adjustable fastener varies the palm width across the palm heel portion independent of the distance between the thumb and exterior sides at other locations on the sports glove.
 16. A stick sports glove for a wearer, the wearer including a wrist and a hand having a palm heel and fingers, the stick sports glove comprising: a top side; a bottom side positioned opposite the top side, and including a variable width an adjustable fastener substantially spanning the bottom side and positioned between the fingers and wrist to lie across the palm heel of the wearer; and a plurality of pads position on the top side to protect the hand during participation in a stick sport.
 17. (canceled)
 18. The stick sports glove of claim 16, further including a hand width corresponding to the hand, wherein the adjustable fastener varies the variable width independent of the hand width.
 19. The stick sports glove of claim 16, further including a wrist width corresponding to the wrist, wherein the adjustable fastener varies the variable width independent of the wrist width. 